Systems and Methods For Sensor-Based Activity Evaluation

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are discussed for providing sensor enhanced safety, recovery, and activity evaluation systems. Sensors that monitor user activity and behavior are worn by a user and/or placed in the user environment. Data from the sensors are processed to obtain a safety, recovery, and/or activity evaluation. Based on the evaluation, recommendations or adjustments to the terms of an insurance policy covering the user, the user&#39;s employer, or a facility providing health care to the user to accurately reflect the risks associated with the user, employer, and/or facility.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/143,941, filed Dec. 30, 2013, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/793,301,filed Jun. 3, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,638,228, which application is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/362,737,filed Jan. 30, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,149,126, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/024,676,filed Feb. 1, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/899,076, filed Feb. 2, 2007, the entire contents ofall of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many insurance companies are considering offering, or do offer,discounts or variable pricing for automobile insurance based on datacollected from vehicle telematics. Safety in the workplace includesperils beyond driving, including environmental conditions, physicalstress and strain, and dangerous equipment. Sensors on the marketplaceand in development can identify dangerous scenarios, includingenvironmental conditions, worker behaviors, use or lack of use of propersafety equipment, and interactions with dangerous machines, substancesor areas.

Workers' compensation insurance provides compensation for workers thatare injured on the job. This compensation may include medical expenses,death benefits, and payments in lieu of lost wages. Workers'compensation insurance is state-mandated for most employees and isgenerally provided by private insurance companies, though some statesoperate a state fund.

Rates for workers' compensation insurance are set by state and are basedon industry and job classification. Workers' compensation rating startswith a base rate, derived for each of some 600 classifications. Thisbase rate is not modified for the smallest businesses, but for others,it is. These modifications include a mandatory application of anexperience rating credit or debit, depending on a business's claimshistory compared to the average in that business class. Also,discretionary pricing modifications can be applied by the carrierdepending on its underwriting evaluation of the account. Many largeaccounts share in the funding of their claims via large deductibles,policyholder dividends and retrospectively rated programs. These kindsof programs are generally referred to as “risk share” plans. For thosebusinesses that are subject to experience rating or a “risk share” plan,their net cost of workers' compensation insurance is decreased to theextent they can either prevent, or mitigate the value of, claims.

Most insurance carriers that sell workers' compensation insuranceprovide professional services that help businesses prevent or mitigatethe values of claims, primarily by reviewing the business's exposuresand current controls, and by assessing the causes of prior claims andsubsequently recommending and implementing solutions. Again, to theextent that these solutions reduce the number and dollar amount ofclaims, overall, the premium paid by the business will also be reduced.Loss control services are generally available to all businesses, but aremost cost-effective for larger businesses.

Typically, loss control services are part of the basic product sold byan insurance carrier. However, loss control services may be made moreeffective and efficient by appropriately utilizing technology. Inparticular, sensor technologies that allow insured businesses to quicklyidentify unsafe situations, thereby providing the businesses withopportunity to correct them, and technologies that give insurancecarriers automatic feedback and information on the safety performance oftheir policyholders, may beneficially contribute to a streamlinedworkers' compensation insurance evaluation system and advantageouslydecrease the risk of accidents in the workplace. In addition tostreamlining workers' compensation insurance evaluation systems, sensortechnologies may assist in improving risk evaluation and loss controlfor other types of insurance, such as group, short or long-termdisability insurance, professional or general liability insurance,and/or medical malpractice insurance. These sensor technologies may alsobe used to monitor and facilitate other aspects of insured entities,such as general employee health, post-injury return-to-work programs forinjured employees, and the activity levels of patients in a healthcarefacility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention relates to an activityevaluation system for managing an insurance-related process. The systemcomprises at least one sensor, a data store, an activity evaluationmodule, a communications module, and a business computer processor. Thesensor(s) are configured to monitor the activity of an individualassociated with an insured entity. The data store stores demographicinformation about the individual. In certain embodiments, thedemographic information about the individual comprises one or more ofheight, age, weight, and stride length of the individual. The activityevaluation module is configured to collect data from the sensor(s),analyze the data to determine activity characteristics, and output anactivity evaluation based on the activity characteristics and thedemographic information. The communications module may communicate thecollected data and/or the recovery evaluation to a server operated by aninsurance company insuring the entity. The business computer processoris configured to adjust a term of an insurance policy covering theinsured entity based on the activity evaluation. The term to be adjustedincludes a premium, a deductible, a limit, services associated with theinsurance policy, costs of the services, rating plan parameters, and/ordividend plan parameters.

In some embodiments, the system includes an output device configured toprovide an insurance recommendation to the individual and/or the insuredentity based at least in part on the activity evaluation. The insurancerecommendation may comprise one of a loss-control recommendation, anexposure management recommendation, an insurance risk evaluationrecommendation, an underwriting workflow recommendation, and a claimsmanagement workflows recommendation. In one aspect, the insurancerecommendation comprises a loss-control recommendation, and theloss-control recommendation comprises one or more of a patient intakedecision for the individual, an initial diagnosis for the individual,care instructions for the individual, a patient progress determinationfor the individual, a determination of sufficient activity for theindividual, and a determination of activity conformance for theindividual. In another aspect the individual is an employee, and theloss-control recommendation comprises the determination of sufficientactivity for the individual to determine if the individual is healthy,and adjusting the term of the insurance policy comprises adjusting aworkers compensation premium associated with the insured entity. In someembodiments, the individual is an employee recovering from an injury,and the loss-control recommendation comprises the determination ofactivity conformance for the individual based on the activity evaluationbeing indicative of the individual's activity conforming to one ofprescribed activity guidelines and personalized threshold guidelinesapplicable to the individual. In other embodiments, the individual is apatient, and the loss-control recommendation comprises the determinationof sufficient activity for the individual based on the activityevaluation being indicative of the individual's activity conforming toone or more of ulcer prevention movement guidelines, prescribed movementguidelines, activity guidelines, and movement threshold guidelinesapplicable to the individual.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a activity evaluation systemfor use in managing an insurance-related process. The system includes atleast one sensor, a data store, an activity evaluation module, acommunications module, and a business computer processor. The at leastone sensor is configured to monitor activity of a plurality ofindividuals associated and distinct from an insured entity. The datastore stores demographic information about the individuals. The activityevaluation module is configured to collect data from the sensor(s),analyze the data to determine activity characteristics, and output anactivity evaluation based on the activity characteristics and thedemographic information. The communications module may communicate thecollected data and/or the activity evaluation to a server operated by aninsurance company insuring the entity. The business computer processoris configured to adjust a workers compensation premium of an insurancepolicy covering the insured entity based on the activity evaluation, soas to provide an adjustment favorable to the insured entity responsiveto the activity evaluation being indicative of healthy activity by theplurality of individuals.

In some embodiments, the system includes an output device configured toprovide an insurance recommendation to the individual and/or the insuredentity based at least in part on the activity evaluation. The insurancerecommendation may comprise one of a loss-control recommendation toinstitute policies to promote healthy activity.

In other aspects, the invention relates to methods for using andimplementing the system described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system suitable for monitoring,evaluating, and providing feedback on employee workplace safety,according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer network system that may be usedin an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first employee safety evaluationsystem, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a second employee safety evaluationsystem, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a patient monitoring and evaluationsystem, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a patient monitoring system fordetermining movement of bedridden patients, according to an illustrativeembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 7A-D depict various views of a wearable sensor, according to anillustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for evaluating employee workplacesafety, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting a process for providing recommendationsand/or insurance adjustments based on collected sensor data, accordingto an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the terms of an insurance policy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To provide an overall understanding of the invention, certainillustrative embodiments will now be described. However, it will beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the methodsdescribed herein may be adapted and modified as is appropriate for theapplication being addressed and that the systems and methods describedherein may be employed in other suitable applications, and that suchother additions and modifications will not depart from the scope hereof.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 for monitoring,evaluating, and providing feedback on employee workplace safety at aninsured entity. In FIG. 1, insurance company 120 provides customer 101with insurance coverage. The type of insurance provided by insurancecompany 120 may be any type of insurance, such as group, short orlong-term disability insurance, professional or general liabilityinsurance, medical malpractice insurance, and/or workers' compensationinsurance. Customer 101 employs one or more employees 111. Employees 111work at a workplace environment 109 that is affiliated with customer101. Workplace environment 109 may include one or more facilitieslocated together or separately from each other. Workplace environment109 may not be at a fixed location, such as when customer 101 is acontractor who travels to various locations for work. Insurance company120 can simultaneously provide services to multiple customers, althoughonly one customer 101 is shown in FIG. 1 for clarity.

While on the job, employees 111 may have accidents or develop chronicailments as a result of handling various types of hazardous machinery113, equipment 115, and objects 125. A hazardous object 125 may be, forexample, a heavy box of merchandise that employees 111 must lift.Hazardous object 125 can also be inherently dangerous, such as aradioactive or chemically toxic object. A few examples of hazardousmachinery 113 and equipment 115 include cutting tools, electricaldevices, and construction equipment. In addition, workplace environment109 can be detrimental to the safety of employees 111 if it is prone tofires, breakdowns in proper ventilation, and other lapses in hazardcontainment.

To monitor the safety of employees 111 as they interact with theworkplace, sensors 123 are established in various manners at workplace109. Sensors 123 can be worn or carried around by employees 111, locatedon machinery 113, equipment 115, objects 125, and distributed aroundworkplace environment 109. Sensors 123 are configured to take a varietyof measurements. For example, motion detectors worn by employees 111measure body motion as employees 111 move around and carry out varioustasks at work. Multiple motion sensors may be worn on different bodyparts to obtain detailed body movement information. Motion sensors suchas accelerometers and/or gyroscopes may monitor speed, acceleration,position, rotation, and other characteristics of body and appendagemotion. There are sensors available for determining the body posture ofemployees 111, particularly while lifting heavy objects. Chronic andacute back injuries are often the result of lifting objects using animproper lifting behavior, and can lead to high valued workers'compensation claims. Pressure sensors embedded in the footwear ofemployees 111 or located on the floor of workplace 109 also provideinformation on the ergonomics of employees 111, such the weight andweight distribution over different parts of the body. Many other typesof wearable sensors used to gain information about the work habits ofemployees 111 can be integrated into safety evaluation system 100, suchas chemical sensor and location sensors such as GPS transceivers,assisted GPS sensors and/or magnetometers.

In some embodiments, sensors 123 are used to monitor the movement oractivity levels of employees 111 who may not generally work with heavyequipment or machinery. For example, sensors 123 may be used to monitorthe movements and/or activity levels of employees 111 such as officeworkers engaged in desk and/or computer work. These employees may tendto be more sedentary than employees that work with other equipment,machinery, or materials. It has been suggested that daily activity ofworkers may be directly related to their overall health and wellness.Monitoring the activity levels of workers, especially sedentary workers,provides additional information relevant to evaluating the overall riskof an insurance account to calculate insurance premiums and potentialdiscounts. Sensors that can be used to monitor employee activity levelsinclude physiological sensors such as heart rate sensors, blood pressuresensors, pedometers, or other sensors for sensing physiological signals.

In certain embodiments, the activity levels and/or lifting behavior ofinjured employees are monitored with sensors 123. Workers in manualmaterial handling jobs who become injured may have limited capabilitiesduring their recovery, at which time they may be able to return to work,but not at full capacity. Sensors 123, which may be worn by an injuredemployee, may be used by occupational health case workers to monitor theactivity level of the injured employee during their recovery in order tofacilitate the speed of recovery.

In addition to being worn or carried around by employees 111, sensors123 are also be fixed on machinery 113, equipment 115, and objects 125.These sensors can also be motion, weight, heat, and pressure sensors,like the wearable sensors discussed above. For example, weight/forcesensors may be used to measure the weights of objects 125. Heat sensorsprovide information on the functionality of machinery 113 and equipment115. Overheating or malfunctioning equipment/machinery constitute aworkplace hazard for employees 111. RFID transponders placed onmachinery 113, equipment 115, and objects 125 are used to identify themachinery/equipment/object, or if paired with RFID transponders carriedby employees 111, are used to determine the relative location ofemployees 111 with respect to various pieces of machinery 113, equipment115, or objects 125.

Sensors 123 that are distributed at fixed locations around workplace 109include heat sensors that monitor the temperature of the workplace.Digital cameras and camcorders can be mounted around workplace 109 tomonitor and analyze employee actions, including lifting behavior whenlifting heavy objects. The above described sensors and their purposesare discussed in more detail below in connection with the systemsdepicted in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Sensors 123 can be configured to transmit data continuously throughoutthe day, at or during specified periods of time, or in response to thedetection of a particular event. Data from sensors 123 are collected andstored on local computer 133. Local computer 133 is a computer, a memorydevice, or a network of such devices that is capable of collecting,storing, and processing sensor data. Local computer 133 may be a mobiledevice, such as a smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop,or micro PC. Alternatively, local computing device 133 may be anembedded computing platform built into sensors 123. Sensors 123communicate with local computer 133 via communication system 106.Communications system 106 can be wired or wireless, and can utilize anyappropriate protocol, such as Bluetooth®. WiFi, ZigBee, or ANT. Theinternal communication network 106 between sensors 123 and localcomputer 133 is part of a larger communications network 127 that allowscommunication of information between customer 101, insurance company120, and third party provider 107, whose functions are described furtherbelow. The devices connected to communication network 127, and theinternal networks contained within, may employ data encryption andsecurity software so that sensitive information, such as the medicalhistories of employees 111, are protected.

In addition to the data obtained from sensors 123, static data regardingemployees 111, such as the age, height, level of physical fitness ofeach person, and data regarding industry safety standards is stored atan internal database 129 at customer 101. Data in internal database 129supplements sensor data and is transmitted along with sensor data toinsurance company 120 for processing. Internal database 129 may notnecessarily be located at customer 101. It can be located or maintainedat a remote location, but accessible by customer 101 and/or insurancecompany 120.

Safety data obtained from sensors 123 and database 129 is transmittedvia communications network 127 to insurance company 120 for evaluation.In one implementation, the data is transmitted in raw form directly fromthe sensors. In another implementation, the data is first processed bylocal computer 133 and then transmitted to insurance company 120 insynthesized form. The transmitted data may also pass through a thirdparty provider 107. In one scenario, third party provider 107 is anoutside expert hired by customer 101 or insurance company 120 to performthe analysis and evaluation of the sensor data. In another scenario,insurance company 120 purchases or obtains in another manner data fromthird party provider 107 instead of interacting directly with customer101. Like local database 129, third party provider 107 can also be asource of information on industry safety standards, for example fromNIOSH and OSHA.

Insurance company 120 has a computer system 119 that includesapplication servers 102, load balancing proxy servers 103, data storageunit 104, business logic computer 122, and user interface module 105 toperform risk evaluation and underwriting based on the collected employeesafety data. Employees of the insurance company 120 and other authorizedpersonnel use user interface module 105 to access the insurance companycomputer system. User interface module 105 may be any type of computingdevice that is configured to communicate with other computer systems.User interface module 105 may be connected directly to applicationserver 102, or may access an application server 102 via the loadbalancing proxy servers 103. User interface module 105 may connect toload balancing proxy servers 103 via a local area network, a privatedata link, or via the internet. Although depicted as being part ofinsurance company 120 in FIG. 1, user interface module 105 may belocated remotely, such as onsite at an insured facility. The businesslogic computer 122 is connected to the data storage unit 104 andapplication servers 102 over a local area network 121, which may be partof communication system 127. In addition, other network infrastructure,including, for example a firewall, backup servers, and back up datastores, may also be included in the system 119, without departing fromthe scope of the invention. Communications over the local area network121 and/or over the Internet, in one implementation, are encrypted. Inaddition, such communications, whether encrypted or not, may also bedigitally signed for authenticating the source of the communications.The computer system 119 may also include a certificate authority toauthenticate one or more of the communications using public keyinfrastructure.

Based on employee safety data collected from the various sourcesdescribed above, a safety evaluation module analyzes and evaluatesemployee safety of customer 101. As used herein, a “module” is aprocessor or portion of a processor configured to perform one or morefunctions. In some embodiments, the module includes hardware andsoftware executing on the hardware for performing particular functions.Optionally, the module includes hardware specifically designed toperform particular functions, or includes hardware and firmwarespecifically configured to perform particular functions. In someembodiments, a module includes executable code that, for instance,comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructionswhich may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, orfunction. Nevertheless, the executables in a module need not bephysically located together, but may comprise disparate instructionsstored in different locations which, when joined logically together,comprise the software portion of the module and achieve, along withhardware, the stated purpose for the module.

Indeed, a module of executable code could include a single instruction,or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several differentcode segments, among different programs, and across several memorydevices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustratedherein within modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form andorganized within any suitable type of data structure. The operationaldata may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed overdifferent locations including over different storage devices, and mayexist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system ornetwork. In addition, entire modules, or portions thereof, may also beimplemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmablegate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or thelike or as hardwired integrated circuits.

In one implementation, the safety evaluation module is implemented inbusiness logic computer 122. In other implementations, the safetyevaluation module is implemented in application servers 102, on localcomputer 133, or is distributed across multiple elements of system 119.After the safety evaluation module evaluates the safety condition ofcustomer 101, it sends feedback back to customer 101 via communicationsnetwork 127 that is directed towards improving employee workplacesafety. Feedback is provided to employees 111 through a visual, audio,or tactile stimulus, which is represented by flashing lights 130 inFIG. 1. Flashing lights 130 may, for example, flash when an employee 111enters into a hazardous area or adopts an unsafe posture when liftingheavy object 125. Other types of feedback mechanisms include a vibratingdevice worn by employee 111 or an audio buzzer. Feedback may also begiven to a manager, and then relayed to employee 111 in an indirectmanner, such as in a verbal conversation between the manager andemployee 111.

A business logic module, implemented preferably in business logiccomputer 122, is used to underwrite or alter workers' compensationinsurance pricing for customer 101 based on the received data. Thebusiness logic module may use predictive models, such as neuralnetworks, Bayesian networks, and support vector machines, in performingthe underwriting and premium adjustment. In one embodiment, the premiumof the insurance policy is decreased if customer 101 employees exhibitsafe practices. Conversely, insurance premiums are increased in responseto unsafe employee performance. Instead of altering premium rates, otherterms of the insurance policy can be altered, such as the policydeductible.

In another scenario, insurance company 120 awards customer 101 withpremium discounts, or other advantageous rewards, simply for institutinga safety evaluation and feedback system. In this scenario, insurancecompany 120 does not receive actual safety data from customer 101.Insurance company 120 may award different discounts depending onpolicies instituted by customer 101 based on the output of the safetyevaluation and feedback system. For example, insurance company 120 mayaward a discount if customer 101 has a safety policy of giving salarybonuses to employees 111 with good safety records. Insurance company 120may also award a discount if customer 101 has a reward policy thatpromotes active participation of employees 111 in the safety evaluationsystem. These scenarios are described in more detail further below inconnection with FIGS. 3 and 4.

Business logic computer 122 may be implemented based on the computernetwork system architecture shown in FIG. 2. Business logic computer 122may have data storage capabilities of its own, or may access externaldata storage unit 104 for such purposes. In one implementation, datastorage unit 104 is a data warehouse utilized by the insurance company120. The data warehouse is the main electronic depository of theinsurance company's current and historical data. The data warehouseincludes one or more interrelated databases that store informationrelevant to insurance data analysis. The interrelated databases storeboth structured and unstructured data. In one implementation, one ormore of the interrelated databases store electronic copies of insuranceforms, either in an image format or a text-searchable format keyed to acustomer or claim. Other databases in the interrelated databases storedata, for example, in a relational database, in various data fieldskeyed to various identifiers, such as, without limitation, customer,data source, geography, or business identifier (such as StandardIndustry Classification Code). The information stored in the datawarehouse 104 is obtained through communications with customers, agents,vendors, sensors, and third party data providers and investigators. Inparticular, the data warehouse is configured to store data aboutcustomer employee safety, as well as related loss information, if any.Preferably, the computations required for risk evaluation andunderwriting are primarily carried out by business logic computer 122,in order to free up the other resources for other tasks. The processesperformed by business logic computer 122 in illustrative embodiments ofthe invention are described below in relation to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In one implementation, software operating on the application servers 102act merely as presentation and data extraction and conversion servers.All substantive business logic, including underwriting and pricingdeterminations, is carried out on the business logic computer 122. Inthis implementation, the application servers 102 obtain data from thedata storage unit 104 and the business logic computer 122 andincorporate that data into web pages (or other graphical user interfaceformats). These web pages are then communicated by the applicationservers 102 through the load balancing proxy servers 103 to userinterface module 105 for presentation. Upon receiving input from userinterface module 105, the application server 102 translates the inputinto a form suitable for processing by the business logic computer 122and for storage by the data storage unit 104. In this implementation,the application servers can be operated by third parties, who can addtheir own branding to the web pages or add other customized presentationdata. In the alternative, at least some of the business logic is alsocarried out by the application servers 102. Application servers 102 mayalso include a webserver for automatically recovering or retrievingsafety data from local computer 133.

In another implementation, the application servers 102 are softwaremodules operating on one or more computers. One of the computers onwhich the application servers 102 are operating may also serve as thebusiness logic computer 122 and/or as a load balancing proxy server 103.

In other implementations, the software operating on user interfacemodule 105 includes a thin or thick client application in addition to,or instead of web browser. The thin or thick client applicationinterfaces with a corresponding server application operating on theapplication server 102.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computing architecture suitable forimplementing various ones of the computing devices depicted in FIG. 1,including, for example, the business logic computer 122, applicationservers 102, and user interface module 105.

Computer 201 comprises at least one central processing unit (CPU) 202,at least one read-only memory (ROM) 203, at least one communication portor hub 204, at least one random access memory (RAM) 205, and one or moredatabases or data storage devices 206. All of these later elements arein communication with the CPU 202 to facilitate the operation of thecomputer 201. The computer 201 may be configured in many different ways.For example, computer 201 may be a conventional standalone computer oralternatively, the function of computer 201 may be distributed acrossmultiple computing systems and architectures.

Computer 201 may be configured in a distributed architecture, whereindatabases and processors are housed in separate units or locations. Somesuch units perform primary processing functions and contain at aminimum, a general controller or a processor 202, a ROM 203, and a RAM205. In such an embodiment, each of these units is attached to acommunications hub or port 204 that serves as a primary communicationlink with other servers 207, client or user computers 208 and otherrelated devices 209. The communications hub or port 204 may have minimalprocessing capability itself, serving primarily as a communicationsrouter. A variety of communications protocols may be part of the system,including but not limited to: Ethernet, SAP, SAS™, ATP, BLUETOOTH™, GSM,ZipBee, ANT, and TCP/IP.

The CPU 202 comprises a processor, such as one or more conventionalmicroprocessors and one or more supplementary co-processors such as mathco-processors. The CPU 202 is in communication with the communicationport 204 through which the CPU 202 communicates with other devices suchas other servers 207, user terminals 208, or devices 209. Thecommunication port 204 may include multiple communication channels forsimultaneous communication with, for example, other processors, serversor client terminals. Devices in communication with each other need notbe continually transmitting to each other. On the contrary, such devicesneed only transmit to each other as necessary, may actually refrain fromexchanging data most of the time, and may require several steps to beperformed to establish a communication link between the devices.

The CPU 202 is also in communication with the data storage device 206.The data storage device 206 comprises an appropriate combination ofmagnetic, optical and/or semiconductor memory, and may include, forexample, RAM, ROM, flash drive, an optical disc such as a compact discand/or a hard disk or drive. The CPU 202 and the data storage device 206each may be, for example, located entirely within a single computer orother computing device; or connected to each other by a communicationmedium, such as a USB port, serial port cable, a coaxial cable, aEthernet type cable, a telephone line, a radio frequency transceiver orother similar wireless or wired medium or combination of the foregoing.For example, the CPU 202 may be connected to the data storage device 206via the communication port 204.

The data storage device 206 may store, for example, (i) a program (e.g.,computer program code and/or a computer program product) adapted todirect the CPU 202 in accordance with the present invention, andparticularly in accordance with the processes described in detailhereinafter with regard to the CPU 202; (ii) databases adapted to storeinformation that are utilized to store information required by theprogram. Suitable databases include data storage unit 104 of FIG. 1.

The program may be stored, for example, in a compressed, an uncompiledand/or an encrypted format, and include computer program code. Theinstructions of the program may be read into a main memory of theprocessor from a computer-readable medium other than the data storagedevice 206, such as from a ROM 203 or from a RAM 205. While execution ofsequences of instructions in the program causes the processor 202 toperform the process steps described herein, hard-wired circuitry may beused in place of, or in combination with, software instructions forimplementation of the processes of the present invention. Thus,embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any specificcombination of hardware and software.

Suitable computer program code may be provided for performing numerousfunctions such as safety data processing and insurance policyunderwriting. The program also may include program elements such as anoperating system, a database management system and “device drivers” thatallow the processor to interface with computer peripheral devices 209(e.g., a video display, a keyboard, a computer mouse, etc.).

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat provides or participates in providing instructions to the processorof the computing device (or any other processor of a device describedherein) for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including butnot limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatilemedia include, for example, optical, magnetic, or opto-magnetic disks,such as memory. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory(DRAM), which typically constitutes the main memory. Common forms ofcomputer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexibledisk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM,DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any otherphysical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM orEEPROM (electronically erasable programmable read-only memory), aFLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other mediumfrom which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor 202 (orany other processor of a device described herein) for execution. Forexample, the instructions may initially be borne on a magnetic disk of aremote computer 208. The remote computer 208 can load the instructionsinto its dynamic memory and send the instructions over an Ethernetconnection, cable line, or even telephone line using a modem. Acommunications device 204 local to a computing device (or, e.g., aserver) can receive the data on the respective communications line andplace the data on a system bus for the processor. The system bus carriesthe data to main memory, from which the processor retrieves and executesthe instructions. Optionally, the instructions received by main memoryare stored in memory either before or after execution by the processor.In addition, instructions may be received via a communication port aselectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, which are exemplaryforms of wireless communications or data streams that carry varioustypes of information.

As previously discussed with reference to FIG. 1, servers may alsointeract and/or control one or more user devices 209, such as displaysand printers, or remote computers 208 such as, e.g., user interfacemodule 105. User device 209 may include any one or a combination of apersonal computer, a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a mouse, akeyboard, a computer display, a touch screen, LCD, voice recognitionsoftware, or other generally represented by input/output devicesrequired to implement the above functionality.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative employee safetymonitoring and evaluation system where customer 101 is insured byinsurance company 120. In FIG. 3, employee 302 of customer 101 islifting a heavy object 312. This system is configured to monitor thelikelihood of stress and strain injuries, which constitute a largepotion of workers' compensation claims. As a participant of a safetyevaluation system, employee 302 wears sensors 304 on his body to monitorhis body posture, movement, and other lifting behavior while liftingobject 312. Sensors 304 may be, for example, footwear with embeddedweight/force sensors that measure his weight distribution, heat sensorsto monitor overheating or overexertion, and digital cameras to capturelifting behavior information.

As employee 302 performs the task of lifting object 312, the abovedescribed sensors transmit data to computing device 306. In oneembodiment, computing device 306 is a mobile computing device, such as asmart phone, laptop, micro PC, or an embedded computing platform builtinto the sensor platform. Data is transferred between sensors 304 andcomputing device 306 via any kind of wireless communication system, suchas a Bluetooth® or WiFi network. Computing device 306 collects,aggregates, and stores the transmitted data. Computing device 306 alsoperforms calculations and analyses on the transmitted data, such asnoise filtering and mathematical operations to synthesize moremeaningful data.

In addition to data derived from sensors, static data is also availableand stored in database 308. Static data includes data such as the name,medical history, job characteristics, and other personal facts regardingemployee 302. Static data also includes the weight, attachment points,and dimensions of object 312. This type of data is used by computingdevice 306 in conjunction with sensor data to evaluate the safety ofemployee actions. For example, it could be considered unsafe for anemployee weighing 110 lbs and in poor physical shape to lift a 50 lbsobject, while a different employee weighing 150 lbs and in good shapecould do the same task safely. Static data stored in database 308optionally includes industry safety standards set by NIOSH and OSHA.These industry standards are used in some implementations as a benchmarkfor safety evaluation. In some embodiments, the safety evaluationresults in a lifting safety indicator that insurance company 120 uses inaltering the policy terms.

Computing device 306 provides employee 302 with immediate feedback abouthis lifting behavior through a stimulus. For example, a light may blinkwhenever employee 302 adopts unsafe lifting behavior. Alternatively, avibrating apparatus worn by employee 302 or an audio stimulus isactivated to relay the same message. In one implementation, feedbackstimuli is activated by computing device 306 only when employee actionspass a certain quantitative threshold. To obtain a safety evaluationscore to compare to the threshold, computing device 306 applies aquantitative algorithm to the received data.

In addition to computing device 306, which may be a handheld mobiledevice and insufficient for all the computing and storage needs of theevaluation system, there may be a local server 310 connected tocomputing device 306. Local server 310 communicates directly withdatabase 308 and sensors 304. Data may be transferred between localserver 310 and the other elements of the system via a USB, wired LAN,WiFi, or cellular connection. The network connection is preferentiallysecure so that personal data such as employee medical history isprotected. Local server 310 performs local processing such as collectingraw sensor data over time and aggregating information for analysisacross all users of the safety evaluation system. Local server 310 canbe located onsite at customer 101 or be a product or service offered bya third party.

In one implementation, local server 310 generates periodic safetyreports on all the employees 302 for management of customer 101.Management can then use these reports to provide feedback to employees302 to promote safer behavior. These reports may also be used bymanagement to create policies that promote safe behavior. For example,the fraction of safe to unsafe lifts performed by an employee 302 orother lifting safety indicators can be included in the report, andmanagement may award employee 302 a year-end bonus or other benefit orrecognition based on this indicator.

In some embodiments, local server 310, computing device 306, database308, and sensors 304 also transmit data directly to insurance company120. Data transmission between these elements and insurance company 120may occur in a variety of ways, such as via secure email, HTTPSprotocol, and XML messages over a SOAP protocol. Insurance company 120may use this data for safety and premium analysis.

Safety analysis includes any safety assessment, risk evaluation, or riskimprovement services. Services offered may include loss control servicessuch as the dispatch of safety experts employed by insurance company 120to advise on dangerous scenarios at the workplace. Loss control servicesmay be provided, for example, after insurance company 120 is alerted ofunsafe circumstances at a customer workplace through reports sent fromlocal server 310. Modification of these services based on the receiveddata may include an increase or decrease in frequency of the service, achange in the cost of the service, and targeting a specific safetyconcern.

Premium analysis includes activities that potentially affect acustomer's premium, deductible amount, discounts or credits, as well aslarge scale analysis to provide input into industry or occupationexperience factors. The determination of premium and offering ofdiscounts or credits may be performed once at underwriting time,regularly on an interval, continuously, in response to an event, orretroactively, as permitted by local, state, and/or federal regulations.

The analysis and decisions made by insurance company 120 with regard topremium/service adjustments and safety evaluation may be transmittedback to customer 101. This information may be stored at local server310, or on another device at customer 101. This information may bedirectly accessible by employees 302 of customer 101 or may be relayedto employees 302 by manager 314.

Insurance company 120 may save the data and reports received fromcustomer 101, and the decisions that were made based upon them, in datastorage unit 104, which was discussed in FIG. 1, or in a separate datawarehouse. This archived data may be used for future retrospectiveanalysis, claims adjudication, and/or to support fraud investigation.

Another illustrative employee safety monitoring and evaluation system isshown in FIG. 4. Other major sources of peril in the workplace includelack of compliance with best practices for use of personal protectiveequipment and other guidelines regarding off-limits hazardous areas andpermission to use dangerous equipment. For example, it is wellunderstood that safety goggles should be used when operating certainmachinery, such as a lathe. The system shown in FIG. 4 may be used tomonitor and promote compliance with such guidelines, and appropriatelyalter insurance policy terms in response to changes in compliance.

Like in FIG. 3, customer 101 employing employees 402, is insured byinsurance company 120. Employee 402 may perform a job that requiresprotective clothing or equipment 404, such as hard hats, goggles,gloves, boots, and lifting belts. For example, employee 402 may be alathe operator. While it is in the employee's best interest to wearprotective clothing 404 and customer 101 may have policies requiringprotective clothing, employee 402 may intentionally or unintentionallyfail to comply with these policies. A safety monitoring system canpromote compliance and lead to fewer injuries at the workplace.

In the system depicted in FIG. 4, articles of personal protectiveequipment 404 are tagged with inexpensive RFID chips. The hazardousequipment 406 that employee 402 operates is equipped with sensors, suchas an RFID reader for detecting the presence of personal protectiveequipment. Examples of hazardous equipment include hand tools, powertools, machine tools, construction equipment and vehicles, andchemically toxic and physically fragile objects. A motion detector, suchas an infrared motion sensor, may also be located on or near equipment406. The motion detector may have a range of less than a few meters, sothat it senses only motion very close to it. When employee 402approaches equipment 406, the motion detector is activated, triggeringthe RFID reader. The RFID reader detects the RFID tagged personalprotective equipment 404, or lack thereof, and recognizes the employee402. Employee identity information may be stored in the RFID chip if theprotective clothing is not shared. Otherwise, a separate RFID chip maybe embedded in employee 402's ID card or in another convenient object.

In one implementation, equipment 406 is configured to stay inactiveunless RFID tagged personal protective equipment is detected. Thus,employee 402 cannot operate equipment 406 without wearing appropriatepersonal protective equipment 404. In another implementation, anemployee's presence in the vicinity of equipment 406 without personalprotective equipment 404 may trigger an alarm. For example, if anemployee activates the motion detector, but the RFID scanner does notdetect a corresponding chip, then an alarm will sound to alert theemployee that he is not wearing personal protective equipment 404. Thealarm may also be concurrently transmitted to employee 402's supervisorand medical personnel in some situations, such as when employee 402approaches chemically toxic or radioactive equipment 406 without aradiation suit.

The system can log the number of times employee 402 attempts to handleor operate equipment 406 without proper personal protective equipment404. This information can be used by insurance company 120 to evaluatethe safety of employee 402's behavior. The results of the evaluation canbe used by insurance company 120 to alter the terms of the insurancepolicy.

Although the system above is described as being implemented using RFIDtechnology, other types of technology may also be used to accomplish thesame goals. One example is digital photography and image analysis, whichcan be used to identify employee 402 and personal protective equipment404. GPS, assisted GPS, floor pressure sensors, and motion detectors areother technologies that can be utilized, alone or in combination, toimplement the above described safety monitoring and alert system. Inaddition, sensors can be combined into sensor networks and incorporatedinto the system.

Another scenario where the above described monitoring and alert systemmay be utilized is in monitoring employee 402 activity and presence inhazardous areas at a workplace. Hazardous area 408 may be the vicinityaround high voltage electrical equipment, radioactive or chemicallytoxic areas, areas with dangerous moving parts such as engine rooms, andother places with high likelihood of accidents. In general, customer 101may want to dissuade employees 402 from entering hazardous areas 408unless they have a reason to be there and are trained in any specialskills that may be necessary.

One method for monitoring activity in hazardous areas 408 is toestablish RFID tagged gates 412 around the areas. In this manner, onlyemployees 402 granted with access may enter such areas. In some cases,it might not be desirable to institute such strict requirements aroundsome hazardous areas 408. For example, customer 101 may want to dissuadeemployees 402 from entering a moderately dangerous work zone, but doesnot want to implement a more complex system to prevent it. In this case,RFID scanners located at the work zone identify and keep track of thenumber of times employee 402 enters the zone, but do not activelyprevent it. However, by logging the number of times employee 402 entersthe zone, feedback can be given to that employee to promote saferbehavior in the future. For example, employee 402's manager may haveaccess to the logs and may notify employee 402 verbally.

Other sensors can also be used in addition to, or in place of, RFID tagsto implement the system described above. For example, GPS systems can beused to track employee locations and digital photography and photorecognition systems can be used for personnel identification.

Hazardous areas 408 may be equipped with environmental sensors thatmonitor heat, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and smoke levels. Thesesensors may be linked to alarms so that immediate feedback andevacuation can be facilitated.

Similar to the embodiment described in FIG. 3, data from sensors locatedon employees 402, personal protective equipment 404, hazardous equipment406, and hazardous areas 408 may be transmitted to a local computer 416for collection, aggregation, and processing. The data may be transmittedvia any appropriate wired or wireless, secure or open, communicationsprotocol, as discussed previously in FIG. 3. Local computer 416 mayprocess the sensor data to obtain useful information, such as imageanalysis on digital camera footage. Local computer 416 may also receiveinput from database 414, which stores static data regarding theemployees 402, personal protective equipment 404, hazardous equipment406, and hazardous areas 408, such as employee identity, employee accessrights to certain areas, employee training level for certain tasks andequipment, and safety information on hazardous equipment 406 owned bycustomer 101. Local computer 416 may be operated by customer 101 or maybe a service/product that is offered by a third party.

Based on the collected sensor data and static information from database414, local computer 416 may determine the number of times a particularemployee 402 fails to comply with safety standards, and generate an asafety evaluation of customer 101's workplace. Local computer 416 mayalso aggregate safety data across all employees and generate reports formanagement 410.

Raw data from sensors 404 and processed data from local computer 416 maybe transmitted to insurance company 120. Insurance company 120 mayperform safety analysis and premium analysis on the data, as discussedabove in connection with FIG. 3.

The analysis and decisions made by insurance company 120 with regard topremium/service adjustments and safety evaluation may be transmittedback to customer 101. This information can be stored at local computer416, or on another device at customer 101. This information may bedirectly accessible by employees 402 of customer 101 or may be relayedto employees 402 by manager 410.

Insurance company 120 may save the data and reports received fromcustomer 101, and the decisions that were made based upon them, in datastorage unit 104, which was discussed in FIG. 1, or in a separate datawarehouse. This archived data may be used for future retrospectiveanalysis, claims adjudication, and/or to support fraud investigation.

The embodiments depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate exemplaryimplementations of a safety monitoring and evaluation system. Theseimplementations can also be used in combination to concurrently monitorphysical actions performed by employees, personal protective equipmentuse, and other safety-related behaviors.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative patient monitoring andevaluation system 500, according to one embodiment of the invention.System 500 is similar to system 100 described in FIG. 1, with many ofthe elements described in system 100, except that system 500 is directedto a healthcare facility 502, such as a hospital, nursing home,assisted-living facility, long or short-term rehabilitation hospital, orother facility providing health care. The insurance company 120 in FIG.5 provides insurance to the healthcare facility 502 and/or to a patient504 receiving treatment in the healthcare facility 502. The patient 504wears sensors 123 for monitoring his or her body movements and activity.For example, the patient 504 may wear sensors 123 around his or herwaist. In some embodiments, other sensors not worn by the patient mayalso be disposed to monitor patient movements and activity. For example,video cameras or motion detectors may be mounted within the patient'sroom, or upon the patient's bed. Sensor data is collected upon thedetection of movement or activity, and may be compiled periodically toprovide a movement/activity score or level. For example, sensor data maybe compiled in a particular time interval, such as eight hours, tocompute a movement score for that time interval.

In certain embodiments, the system 500 may be used to monitor apatient's recovery or rehabilitation progress. For example, themonitored movement/activity metrics of the patient 504 can be used todetermine whether the patient 504 is recovering at a sufficient pace, orwhether additional care should be provided. For example, if patient 504suffered from a broken limb, the movement/activity metrics of thepatient 504, including movement of his entire body and/or the affectedlimb, may be used to determine if the limb is moving too much, notenough, and/or whether the patient 504 is performing prescribedrehabilitation exercises at the appropriate times. In some embodiments,the monitored movement/activity metrics of the patient 504 is comparedto an expected rehabilitation timeline or schedule. If the monitoredmetrics do not meet the timeline or schedule, additional care ortreatment may be provided to the patient 504.

In some embodiments, where patient 504 is bedridden or otherwisemotion-restricted, the monitored movement/activity metrics of thepatient 504 are used to determine if he or she is being moved, shifted,or turned sufficiently often to prevent conditions such as decubitusulcers. Physicians may prescribe that a patient be “turned” in bed atset intervals. Typical guidelines hold that prevention of such ulcersconsists of changing the patient's position every two hours or morefrequently if the patient's conditions requires. This two-hour timeframe is a generally accepted maximum interval that the tissue cantolerate pressure without damage. Patients confined to bed for extendedperiods of time may require more frequent attention. It is oftendifficult to know if a patient has been moved as prescribed. Themonitored movement/activity metrics allow provide feedback, reminders,and/or prompts to staff to move patients at prescribed intervals.

In some embodiments, the system 500 includes a user terminal 508configured to allow health care staff and/or third-party monitoringpersonnel such as case workers to input prescribed motion and/oractivity guidelines, such as how often patient 504 should be turned ormoved, how much patient 504 should be turned or moved, and/or movementthresholds beyond which health care personnel are to be notified. Userterminal 508 may also be configured to allow personnel to monitor themovement/activity of patient 504 and whether health care staff arefollowing the prescribed motion/activity guidelines, and/or to providereports or summaries of the movement/activity history for patient 504.In certain embodiments, monitoring the movement/activity metrics of apatient that is particularly weak and unable to move independently mayprevent asphyxiation, which may occur if the patient accidentally turnsover so as to lie face-down. In this situation, the system 500 isconfigured to notify health care staff via, for example, user terminal508 if movement/activity is detected. In some embodiments, user terminal508 may be a nurses' station and is also communicatively coupled withother devices via the network 127, such as computer system 119, database129, and/or other nurses' stations at the facility.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a patient monitoring system 600 fordetermining movement of bedridden patients, according to an illustrativeembodiment of the invention. Wearable sensor(s) 123 is attached to orworn by bedridden patient 504. The wearable sensor(s) 123 are configuredto detect the patient 504's direction of movement, extent of movement,as well as the patient's degree of rotation. As discussed above, certainmovement thresholds are prescribed for bedridden patients in order toprevent ailments such as decubitus ulcers. These movement thresholdsinclude the time between movement, extent of movement, and allowablepositions. For example, the prescribed movement thresholds for a patientmay state that he should be moved every two hours, that every time he isturned, he should be turned approximately 90 degrees axially so that helies on a different portion of his body (e.g., his left side, his rightside, his back), and that he should not lie on the same portion of hisbody more than once every six hours (e.g., he should be turned such thathe lies on every portion at least once every six hours). An embodimentof this is shown in FIG. 6, where the body cross-section of the patient504 is shown, along with the attached/worn sensor(s) 123, at varioustimes within a particular time period.

The sensor(s) 123 are communicatively coupled to a computer 602, similarto local computer 133 and computer 201, described above in relation toFIGS. 1 and 2. The computer 602 includes system memory 604, whichincludes random access memory 606 (similar to RAM 205, FIG. 2) and readonly memory 608 (similar to ROM 203, FIG. 2). The computer 602 alsoincludes a central processing unit 620 similar to CPU 202 (FIG. 2),storage devices 610 similar to data storage device 206 (FIG. 2), and aninput/output controller 624. Similar to data storage device 206 (FIG.2), storage devices 610 stores an operating system 612 andapplication(s) 614. Storage devices 610 also stores database 616containing prescribed or recommended movement thresholds for patients,as well as database 618 containing position and angle data collected bythe sensors 123, as well as elapsed time data. The input/outputcontroller 624, with which CPU 620 communicates, allows the CPU 620 tocommunicate with other devices such as other servers, user terminals, ordevices. The input/output controller 624 may include multiplecommunication channels for simultaneous communication with, for example,other processors, servers or client terminals. Devices in communicationwith each other need not be continually transmitting to each other. Onthe contrary, such devices need only transmit to each other asnecessary, may actually refrain from exchanging data most of the time,and may require several steps to be performed to establish acommunication link between the devices. Interconnect bus 622 facilitatescommunication between the various components of the computer 602.

The system 600 includes a user terminal 508 communicatively coupled withcomputer 602, similar to user terminal 508 described in FIG. 5. Thecomputer 602 is also communicatively coupled with computer system 628,similar to computer system 119 (FIG. 1), via network 626, similar tocommunications network 127 (FIG. 1).

Since sensors 123 may be configured to monitor the movement/activity ofa particular person wearing the sensors, in some embodiments the sensors123 are equipped to detect if they are removed from the person. Bydetecting the removal of the sensors 123, the accuracy of the monitoredmovement/activity data can be determined, any anomalous activity can bedetected, and appropriate actions can be taken. For example, if sensors123 worn by a recovering injured employee or a bedridden patient areremoved at some point during the day, the movement/activity datameasured by the sensors 123 after the removal will not reflect theactual activity or movement of the injured employee or the patient.Besides the problem associated with collecting inaccurate data, this canbe particularly problematic, because relevant personnel may not benotified if, for example, an injured employee unknowingly tries to liftbeyond his prescribed thresholds, or if a patient is not turned andmoved at the prescribed times. Thus, the sensors 123 may be configuredto detect its removal from the relevant person, and to notifyappropriate monitoring personnel and/or to log the removal in local orremote memory.

FIGS. 7A-D depict various views of a wearable sensor 700, similar toworn sensors 123 described in FIGS. 1 and 5, according to anillustrative embodiment of the invention. Wearable sensor 700 isconfigured to detect its removal from a person wearing it. Wearablesensor 700 includes a sensor body or housing 702 attached to amechanical fastener. The mechanical fastener includes clip arm 704 andhinge 706, which attaches the clip arm 704 to the sensor body/housing702. The clip arm 704, hinge 706, and sensor body/housing 702 areconfigured to fasten the wearable sensor 700 to a belt or some otherarticle of clothing worn by a monitored individual. FIG. 7A depicts aside view of the wearable sensor 700 when the mechanical fastener is ina closed, fastened position. In the fastened position, electricalcontacts 708 form an electrical short, detectable via detectioncircuitry embedded within the sensor body/housing 702 and/or within theclip arm 704. For the sensor 700 to be removed from a monitoredindividual, it will be necessary to open the mechanical fastener. Whenthe mechanical fastener is opened, it will assume the configurationshown in FIG. 7B, where the electrical contacts 708 no longer form anelectrical short, and instead form an electrical open circuit. Thedetection circuit detects this open circuit, and can take appropriateaction, such as warning the monitored individual, logging the time atwhich the break in the circuit occurred, and/or notifying monitoringpersonnel that a circuit break has occurred. FIGS. 7C-D show back viewsof the wearable sensor 700, showing the sensor body/housing 702, theclip arm 704, the hinge 706, and the electrical contacts 708.

In some embodiments, the electrical contacts 708 may be located withinthe hinge 706, or elsewhere between the clip arm 704 and the sensor body702, as long as it is able to detect a change in the position of theclip arm 704 and the sensor body 702 indicative of a release of thefastening mechanism. In certain embodiments, other contact detectionand/or mechanical methods may be used, in addition to or in place of thebody/hinge/arm fastener and electrical contacts 708. For example,physical connectors such as bands, tapes, or strips may be used tofasten the wearable sensor 700 to an individual. These physicalconnectors can be configured to detect ruptures in the connectors, forexample via embedded conductive wires. Optionally, magnetic sensors maybe used to detect if sensor 700 is removed, for example by detectingchanges in magnetic field.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of exemplary steps in a method for evaluating andimproving workplace safety. The method begins with collecting data fromsensors located at the workplace of an insured customer (step 801). Thesensor data is related to employee safety. As previously described,sensors at the workplace measure environmental factors such astemperature, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, smoke, pressure, andanother factors that may affect the safety of the workplace. Sensors mayalso be worn by employees to collect information on employee actions.Such sensors may include pressure sensors embedded in shoes, and measurelifting behavior and weight distribution of the wearer while he performscertain acts on the job, such as lifting heavy objects. Employee actionssuch as running, throwing, reaching, falling, and material handling canalso be measured. Other types of sensors include digital cameras,weight/forces pads on the ground, infrared motion sensors, and RFIDtransponders on equipment, protective clothing, and employeeidentification cards. Systems in which these sensors are used aredescribed above in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4.

The sensor data may be collected by mobile computing devices, such aslaptops, smart phones, and PDAs, and data may be transmitted via awireless communication protocol, such as Bluetooth® or WiFi. Sensor datamay also be collected on a local computer or server.

In addition to sensor data, static data is collected at step 805. Staticdata may include personal information on employees, such as theirmedical history, level of physical fitness, job description, level ofrestricted access, and their current safety evaluation. Static data mayalso include data on objects and equipment at the workplace, such as theergonomics (size, shape, dimensions, weight) of objects that are handledby employees, operation procedures of certain equipment, and the degreeof hazard of certain work zones. In general, static data encompasses anyrelevant data that is not being collected in real time from sensors,including industry standards from NIOSH and OSHA. Static data may bestored at a local server.

In addition to or instead of collecting data from sensors and localstatic data servers, data may also be purchased or obtained from a thirdparty (step 803). The purchased data may be used to supplement thesensor data or may be used to validate or debug the system. Thepurchased data may include sensor data as well as static data.

Whether the safety data is derived from sensors, a static database, orfrom a third party, it is analyzed, processed, and aggregated at step807. Data may be aggregated over all the employees or it may beaggregated over a particular time interval. In some embodiments, theaggregated data are generated into reports, which can then be providedto interested parties (see step 811 below).

Data processing includes applying algorithms to the collected data,which may be in its raw form, to obtain values of interest. For example,raw sensor data may be noise filtered.

In some embodiments, the raw sensor data, processed data, and staticdata are combined at this step and analyzed to obtain a safetyevaluation of the workplace. The evaluation may be a score or aqualitative description. The evaluation may be compared to NIOSH andOSHA safety standards to obtain a pass/fail or a good/badcharacterization.

Using the safety evaluation, the insured company may institute policiesto promote safe practices at step 809. For example, the insured companymay offer bonuses to employees who obtain a good safety evaluation orwho are willing to participate in the evaluation program. The insuredcompany may also hold training programs to teach remedial safetypractices, such as proper lifting techniques, to those determined by theevaluation system to exhibit unsafe practices. Other policies institutedby the insured company include employer recognition programs thatpublicly recognize employees identified by the system as safe employees,and stricter suspension or other punitive policies for employees who donot comply with the safety rules as determined by the system.

In response to insured company instituting the above mentioned policies,or other policies designed to promote a safe working environment, theinsurance company can favorably alter the terms of the insurance policy,such as decreasing the premium or deductible.

At step 811, safety evaluations, in the form of reports for the entirecompany, individual customer facilities, employee teams, or individualemployees may be provided to the company or individual as feedback. Forexample, a manager may receive a report indicating that a particularemployee was not compliant with safety rules a certain percentage oftime. The manager may relay that information to the employee verbally. Amore direct form of feedback would be when the system automaticallyalerts an employee of an unsafe act via a real-time physical stimulus,such as a buzzer. Either way, the employee receives feedback about hisactions and can correct them in the future.

At step 813, the insured company notifies the insurance company aboutthe policies that they have instituted to promote safe behavior. Basedon this alone, and without receiving the actual data, insurance companymay grant discounts to the insured company at step 817.

Alternatively, the insured company may transmit the actual data to theinsurance company at step 815. In this case, the insurance company mayperform its own safety evaluation of the data and grant discounts basedon the evaluation outcomes at step 819. The insurance company or theinsured company may also hire a third party service to perform theevaluation.

In deciding to alter the terms of the insurance policy, the insurancecompany, or the third party evaluator, may compare the safetyperformance, as determined from the sensor data, of the insured companyto an industry baseline. If the safety performance of the insuredcompany is better than the industry baseline, the insurance company thenalters the terms of the policy favorably.

In another scenario, the safety performance of the insured company iscompared to its previous performance. For example, if the safetyperformance of the company improves over its past performance, then theinsurance company may award discounts in the premium.

This safety evaluation and feedback system may operate continuously orat certain intervals. The process may repeat itself and lead to newadjustments in insurance policy terms and new feedback may be providedto the employees and the company. A sensor enhanced evaluation system isadvantageous because it allows safety improvements at the insuredcompany to be reflected in the policy on a more immediate time basis.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting a process 900 for providingrecommendations and/or insurance adjustments based on collected sensordata, according to one embodiment of the invention. Process 900 may beused in healthcare environments as described in FIG. 5, and/or inworkplace environments as described in FIG. 1, to monitor injuredemployees that are recovering.

In step 902, movement/activity data is collected from sensors worn onthe body of an employee, worker, or patient, such as sensors 123 (FIGS.1, 5). In some embodiments, the data are collected and/or analyzed by anactivity evaluation module, similar to the safety evaluation modulediscussed above in relation to FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the activityevaluation module collects raw data directly from the sensors 123.Optionally, the raw data from the sensors 123 is preprocessed beforebeing provided to the activity evaluation module, either by the sensors123 themselves or another preprocessing device. The movement/activitydata may include data indicative of horizontal and/or vertical bodyposition, turning and/or twisting of the body, or sitting/standingpostures.

In step 904, the collected sensor data is then filtered to removeunwanted noise, for example via a low-pass filter, and then stored inpersistent data storage such as database 129 or data storage 104 (FIGS.1, 5). Activity metrics or other parameters indicative of movement andactivity, such as body movement, body orientation, frequency ofmovement, duration of movement, movement distance, and caloriesexpended, may then be calculated and used to provide an activity orrecovery evaluation in step 906. For example, body movement andorientation over time can be determined with data collected from one ormore 3-axis accelerometers. In some embodiments, sensor data may becoupled with user demographic information such as height, age, weight,and/or stride length to estimate a user's activity level.

In one embodiment, the body position/orientation of a user such as anemployee or a patient may be determined by calculating the angle of thebody on three axes—X, Y, and Z. To calculate the body angle, the wornsensors are first calibrated based on their attachment point(s) to theuser's body. A first baseline angle is then determined with the user ina predetermined posture, such as lying down or standing up. This firstbaseline angle is then stored, and may be compared with other anglemeasurements taken over time. In one embodiment, the angle measurementsare made with one or more 3-axis accelerometers, and may be augmentedwith data from additional sensors such as gyroscopes, which measure therotation about one or more axes. For example, in an embodiment with ananalog accelerometer and a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), thefollowing calculations is used to measure user body angle:

1. Capture the output from the three channels of the accelerometer andexpress as a number from 1-1023.2. Convert the output into voltage values for each axis:

VoltsRx=adcRx*Vref/1023,  a.

VoltsRy=adcRy*Vref/1023,  b.

VoltsRz=adcRz*Vref/1023,  c.

where Vref is the reference voltage for the accelerometer.3. Calculate the signed voltage value by determining the shift from zeroacceleration:

deltaVoltsRx=VoltsRx−VzeroG,  a.

deltaVoltsRy=VoltsRy−VzeroG,  b.

deltaVoltsRz=VoltsRz−VzeroG,  c.

where VzeroG is the voltage at zero acceleration for the accelerometer.4. Calculate the angle:

Axr−arccos(Rx/R)  a.

Ayr−arccos(Ry/R)  b.

Azr−arccos(Rz/R)  c.

Other movement/activity metrics may also be measured. For example,frequency of movement may be determined based on time series datameasured by worn accelerometers and/or sensors. If the time series datafor a particular user shows that the user experiences a series ofacceleration events over time, then the number of acceleration eventsmay be combined with measurements of time to result in amovement/activity frequency measurement. Duration of movement may bemeasured by performing a weighted average of measured movements/activityover time to differentiate between active and sedentary periods.Movement distance may be approximated from accelerometer data via thefollowing calculations:

velocity final=velocity initial+acceleration*time  1.

distance=velocity final*time−0.5*acceleration*time²  2.

In certain embodiments, data indicative of movement or activity belowparticular thresholds is disregarded. For example, small movements suchas fidgeting or brief movements such as stretching may not be includedin the determination of activity metrics. Estimated calorie expenditure,which may be indicative of activity level, may be determined as follows:

C/min=(−55.0969+0.6309*heart rate+0.1988*weight+0.2017*age)/4.184(weight is in kg);  Men:

C/min=(−20.4022+0.4472*heart rate+0.1263*weight+0.074*age)/4.184 (weightis in kg),  Women:

where heart rate may be directly measured or estimated based on age,weight, and activity level.

After the movement/activity metrics have been measured, recommendationsor insurance policy adjustments based on the metrics may be provided instep 908. For example, in a healthcare environment, monitoredmovement/activity metrics may be used to provide recommendations forloss-control purposes, such as patient intake decisions and/ordeterminations of if bedridden patients are being moved, shifted, orturned sufficiently often, as described above in relation to FIGS. 5 and6. In some embodiments, collected sensor data is used for loss control,exposure management, insurance risk evaluation, assessment, and rating,as well as underwriting and/or claims management workflows. In oneembodiment, collected movement/activity metrics for patients at ahealthcare facility is used to evaluate risks associated with thepatients and/or the healthcare facility, and/or is used to adjustinsurance policies for patients and/or the healthcare facility. Forexample, if sensor data for bedridden patients at a healthcare facilityindicates that the caregiver-initiated patient movements meet or exceedprescribed movement thresholds, such as frequency and/or amount, thehealthcare facility may receive a discount on its insurance.

In some embodiments, the monitored movement/activity metrics may be usedfor vendor management. For example, the monitored movement/activitymetrics of patients at a healthcare facility may be used to evaluate howwell a particular the facility/healthcare vendor adheres to prescribedguidelines, as well as how quickly patients at that facility recover. Ifa particular healthcare facility/vendor consistently meets prescribedguidelines and/or is characterized by quick recovery of its patients,more injured individuals may be referred to that facility/vendor. Incertain embodiments, the collected sensor data and movement/activitymetrics can also be stored and used to provide proof of adherence toprescribed guidelines for use if malpractice claims are brought againsta vendor and/or insurance company.

In some embodiments, the collected information is aggregated atdifferent levels. For example, collected sensor information for a groupof individuals under a group benefit/insurance policy may be aggregatedso that an insurance company can evaluate the overall risk of the group.Similarly, collected sensor information for a particular healthcarefacility/vendor, or even individual caregivers or groups of caregiversin a particular facility, may be aggregated to allow for riskevaluation, for example for evaluating risks associated with generalliability/professional liability and/or medical malpractice coverage.For example, an insurance company providing professional liabilityinsurance to a particular caregiver may aggregate and analyzemovement/activity information for patients under that caregiver'ssupervision to evaluate the risk associated with that caregiver. In someembodiments, the determination of whether a particular insurance policyis to be renewed is based on the movement/activity information.

As yet another example, the movement/activity level and/or the liftingbehavior of an injured employee that has returned to work may bemonitored to prevent re-injury and to speed recovery. In this example,personalized activity and/or lifting thresholds, such as the number ofallowable lifts per day, the amount or degree of bending allowable,allowable postures, or allowable weight limits may be established forthe injured employee, and as the employee approaches or reaches theestablished thresholds, the employee may be notified in real-time. Insome embodiments, the occupational health and claims case workerresponsible for the employee is also be notified. In some embodiments,the notifications to the injured employee and/or the case worker(s)includes immediate feedback upon detection of an undesired liftingbehavior (e.g., warning the employee when he/she is about to engage indangerous/unsafe lifting), summaries of lifting behavior/activities fora period of time (e.g., lifting behavior for the past eight hours),and/or notification of conformance with a recovery plan (e.g., whetherthe employee has or has not exceeded the maximum allowable lifts, and ifso, by how much). In some embodiments, caregivers, case workers, orother relevant personnel can input the personalized activity/liftingthresholds by a user interface similar to user interface module 105(FIG. 1). Similarly, the notifications to the injured employee and/orthe case worker(s) can be presented on the user interface.

In some embodiments, the method for evaluating and improving workplacesafety described in FIG. 8 may be modified to use sensor data collectedin step 902 to evaluate and improve workplace health, assist in thereturn-to-work recovery of injured employees, and/or assist inloss-control of health and injury claims. For example, the sensor datamay be combined with static data (step 805, FIG. 8) and/or third partydata (step 803, FIG. 8) and analyzed, processed, and/or aggregated (step807, FIG. 8) to provide activity and/or lifting evaluations. The insuredentity may institute policies to promote healthy activity based on thedata (or to improve patient movement frequency, for healthcarefacilities) (step 809, FIG. 8), and may receive discounts or otherfavorable insurance policy adjustments from insurance companiesproviding insurance to the entity.

FIG. 10 shows exemplary insurance policy terms that can be adjusted inthe present system. Insurance policy 1000 is characterized by terms1001-1017. In response to a safety or recovery evaluation associatedwith an insured entity, some of the terms 1001-1017 of the insurancepolicy are adjusted to reflect the evaluation. For example, a favorableevaluation may lead to a decrease in premium 1001 and deductible amount1002. An unfavorable evaluation may lead to an increase in premium 1001.The deductible credit 1003, loss limit 1004, excess loss premium factors1005, retrospective rating plans and factors 1006, experience ratingplan modifications 1007, schedule rating plan credits or debits 1008,dividend plan types 1009, dividend plan retention factors 1010, expecteddividend plan payouts 1011, amount of rate deviation 1012, service costexpectations 1013, start and end dates 1014, coverage description 1015,services offered 1016, entity ID 1017, and other policy terms may bealtered in a similar manner. In some embodiments, the determination ofwhether to renew an insurance policy covering an insured entity is basedon the evaluation.

What is claimed is:
 1. An activity evaluation system comprising: acommunications device configured to receive (1) sensor data based on atleast one sensor configured to monitor activity of an individualassociated with and distinct from a covered entity, and (2) an activityevaluation for the individual; and a computer hardware server, operatedby a risk management entity and in communication with the communicationsdevice, configured to adjust data corresponding to a parameter of therisk management policy covering the covered entity based on the sensordata and the activity evaluation, wherein the computer hardware serveris configured to adjust the data corresponding to the parameter so as toprovide an adjustment favorable to the covered entity responsive to theactivity evaluation being indicative of desired activity by theindividual; wherein the computer hardware server is further configuredto generate, based at least in part on the activity evaluation, dataindicative of a risk management recommendation for one or both of thecovered entity and a healthcare provider, and output a communicationhaving the data indicative of the risk management recommendation to oneor both of the covered entity and the healthcare provider.
 2. The systemof claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises one or both of raw datadirectly from the at least one sensor configured to monitor activity ofthe individual and preprocessed sensor data based on the raw data fromthe at least one sensor.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensordata comprises the preprocessed sensor data, and the preprocessed sensordata comprises data indicative of one or more of body movement, bodyorientation, frequency of movement, duration of movement, movementdistance, and calories expended, calculated based upon the raw data. 4.The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises one ofa sensor worn by the individual, a sensor on a piece of equipment, agyroscopic sensor, an accelerometer, a motion sensor, a pressure sensor,a chemical sensor, and a GPS sensor.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinthe at least one sensor comprises a three-axis accelerometer, andwherein the computer hardware server is further configured to: calculatea frequency of movement based on a series of the sensor data receivedfrom the three-axis accelerometer; and calculate a duration of movementbased on a weight average of movements over time identified in theseries of the sensor data; wherein the computer hardware server isfurther configured to adjust the data corresponding to the parameter ofthe risk management policy based upon the calculated frequency ofmovement and the calculated duration of movement.
 6. The system of claim1, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from the coveredentity comprises a patient at a health care facility, wherein the dataindicative of the risk management recommendation comprises aloss-control recommendation, and wherein the computer hardware server isfurther configured to: determine, based on the sensor data, whetherprescribed motion for the patient has been performed; responsive to anegative determination that the prescribed motion for the patient hasbeen performed, transmit an alert to a user terminal at the health carefacility, wherein the alert generates a display on the user terminalcorresponding to the negative determination that the prescribed motionfor the patient has been performed.
 7. The system of claim 1, whereinthe individual associated with and distinct from the covered entitycomprises an employee of the covered entity returning from an injury,wherein the data indicative of the risk management recommendationcomprises a loss-control recommendation, and wherein the computerhardware server is further configured to: determine, based on the sensordata, whether the employee has conformed with a recovery plan prescribedfor the employee; responsive to a negative determination that theemployee has conformed with the recovery plan, transmit an alert to alocal computer at the covered entity corresponding to the negativedetermination that the employee has conformed with the recovery plan. 8.The system of claim 1, wherein the individual associated with anddistinct from the covered entity comprises an employee of the coveredentity, wherein the data indicative of the risk managementrecommendation comprises a loss-control recommendation, and wherein thecomputer hardware server is further configured to: determine, based onthe sensor data, whether the employee has conformed with workplacesafety guidelines at a workplace of the covered entity; responsive to anegative determination that the employee has conformed with theworkplace safety guidelines, transmit an alert to the covered entity. 9.The system of claim 8, wherein the computer hardware server beingconfigured to transmit the alert to the covered entity comprises thecomputer hardware server being configured to transmit the alert to oneor more of a local computer at the workplace, an audio buzzer at theworkplace, a flashing light at the workplace, and a vibrating deviceworn by the employee.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor datacomprises one or more of RFID scanner data, GPS data, and photorecognition data corresponding to the employee; and wherein the computerhardware server being configured to determine, based on the sensor data,whether the employee has conformed with the workplace safety guidelines,comprises the computer hardware server being configured to determine anumber of times the employee has accessed hazardous areas at theworkplace.
 11. A method for evaluating activity of an individualassociated with and distinct from a covered entity, comprising:receiving by a server hardware, the server hardware comprising at leastone processor, (1) sensor data based on at least one sensor monitoringactivity of the individual associated with and distinct from the coveredentity, and (2) an activity evaluation for the individual; adjusting, bythe server hardware, data corresponding to risk management parameterscovering the covered entity based on the sensor data and the activityevaluation, the adjusting comprising adjusting the data corresponding tothe parameter so as to provide an adjustment favorable to the coveredentity responsive to the activity evaluation being indicative of desiredactivity by the individual; generating, by the server hardware, based atleast in part on the activity evaluation, data indicative of a riskmanagement recommendation to one or both of the covered entity and ahealthcare provider; and outputting, by an output device, the dataindicative of the risk management recommendation to one or both of thecovered entity and the healthcare provider.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the sensor data comprises one or both of raw data directly fromthe at least one sensor configured to monitor activity of the individualand preprocessed sensor data based on the raw data from the at least onesensor.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor data comprisespreprocessed sensor data, and the preprocessed sensor data comprisesdata indicative of one or more of body movement, body orientation,frequency of movement, duration of movement, movement distance, andcalories expended, calculated based upon the raw data.
 14. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the individual associated with and distinct from thecovered entity comprises a patient at a health care facility, whereinthe data indicative of the risk management recommendation comprises aloss-control recommendation, and further comprising: determining, by theserver hardware based on the sensor data, whether prescribed motion forthe patient has been performed; responsive to a negative determinationthat the prescribed motion for the patient has been performed,transmitting an alert to a user terminal at the health care facilitycorresponding to the negative determination that the prescribed motionfor the patient has been performed.
 15. The method of claim 11, whereinthe individual associated with and distinct from the covered entitycomprises an employee of the covered entity returning from an injury,wherein the data indicative of the risk management recommendationcomprises a loss-control recommendation, and further comprising:determining, by the server hardware based on the sensor data, whetherthe employee has conformed with a recovery plan prescribed for theemployee; responsive to a negative determination that the employee hasconformed with the recovery plan, transmitting an alert to a localcomputer at the covered entity corresponding to the negativedetermination that the employee has conformed with the recovery plan.16. The method of claim 11, wherein the individual associated with anddistinct from the covered entity comprises an employee of the coveredentity, wherein the data indicative of the risk managementrecommendation comprises a loss-control recommendation, and furthercomprising: determining, by the server hardware based on the sensordata, whether the employee has conformed with workplace safetyguidelines at a workplace of the covered entity; and responsive to anegative determination that the employee has conformed with theworkplace safety guidelines, transmit an alert to one of more of a localcomputer at the workplace of the covered entity, an audio buzzer at theworkplace, a flashing light at the workplace, and a vibrating deviceworn by the employee.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensordata comprises one or more of RFID scanner data, GPS data, and photorecognition data corresponding to the employee; and wherein the serverhardware being configured to determine, based on the sensor data,whether the employee has conformed with the workplace safety guidelinescomprises the server hardware being configured to determine a number oftimes the employee has accessed hazardous areas at the workplace.
 18. Anactivity evaluation system for use in managing a risk management policy,comprising: a communications device operated by a risk management entityconfigured to receive (1) sensor data based on at least one sensorconfigured to monitor activity of an individual associated with anddistinct from a covered entity, and (2) an activity evaluation for theindividual; and a computer hardware server, operated by the riskmanagement entity and in communication with the communications device,configured to adjust data corresponding to a parameter of the riskmanagement policy covering the covered entity based on the sensor data,the activity evaluation, and demographic data about the individual,wherein the computer hardware server is configured to adjust the datacorresponding to the parameter so as to provide an adjustment favorableto the covered entity responsive to the activity evaluation beingindicative of desired activity by the individual; wherein the computerhardware server is further configured to generate, based at least inpart on the activity evaluation, data indicative of a risk managementrecommendation for one or both of the covered entity and a healthcareprovider, and output the data indicative of the risk managementrecommendation to one or both of the covered entity and the healthcareprovider.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the demographic data aboutthe individual comprises one or more of height data, age data, weightdata, and stride length data corresponding to the individual.
 20. Thesystem of claim 19, wherein the individual associated with and distinctfrom the covered entity comprises an employee of the covered entity,wherein the data indicative of the risk management recommendationcomprises a loss-control recommendation, and wherein the computerhardware server is further configured to: determine, based on the sensordata, whether the employee has conformed with workplace safetyguidelines at a workplace of the covered entity; and responsive to anegative determination that the employee has conformed with theworkplace safety guidelines, transmit an alert to the covered entity;wherein the computer hardware server being configured to transmit thealert to the covered entity comprises the computer hardware server beingconfigured to transmit the alert to one or more of a local computer, anaudio buzzer at the workplace, a flashing light at the workplace, and avibrating device worn by the employee.